Improvement in joint-couplings for timber-frames



L Mmm. Joint-Couplings for Timber-Ffa'me;

Patented Dc.'29, v18"/4.

Inra/i012 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIOT MARTIN, OF WATERYLIET, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN JOINTFCOUPLINGS FOR TIMBER-FRAMES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 158,294, dated December29, 1874; application led January 9, 1874.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIOT MARTIN, of

Watervliet, county of Albany, State of New York, have invented a newMetallic Joint- Coupling for Timber-Frames and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanymg drawings forming a part of this specication, in which Figurel is a perspective view of the invention applied to the framework of acar, illustratmg 1ts application. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of theinvention, illustrating all its parts. Fig. 3 is a perspective view Vofthe same modilied in some of its parts. Fig. 4 is a plan of the couplingin a sectional view in a horizontal direction.

My invention relates to a device for joining the ends of timbers attheir corners when framed together, and consists of abox form ofangle-iron, made continuous and solid in all its parts, and Withprojecting ribs or flanges and strap-bolts, so formed and placed as torender the device easy for application to the timbers, and removal ofthe same for replacing with new timbers when required, all of which Iwill describe by reference to the drawings and the letters of referencemarked thereon, the same letters indicating like part-s. Y

In the drawings, A B represent the ends of the timbers to be joined, andmade to form the corner of a frame when joined by the jointcoupling O C.The said joint-coupling consists oi a box-form angle-iron, made of castmetal, and comprised ot' the backs c a', the upper an gle-tlan ge, c c',and the bottom angleange, e e, cast in a continuous and solid piece, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3. The ends of the liange portions c c and c e aremade with oblique terminations s s, at an angle of forty-tive degrees,or less, which will admit the jointcoupling to be removed from thetimbers connected, when desired, by being driven or worked back towardthe inside of the frame, and will also prevent a cross-breaking of thetilnber at the said terminations, by reason of the bearing of theflanges in a direction oblique with the direction of the grain ot' thesaid timbers.

In frames where one of the timbers, A, is of greater depth than itsconjoined timber, B, as

in Fig. 1, I give the flange c an incline up= Ward and outward from theback a to a height above the plane of the flange c equal to the increaseof the thickness of the said timber A over the timber B, as shown insaid figure.

Vhen the frame is to support a corner post (not shown) l run the back cpast the back a to the front oi' the flanges c e and c e', with the backc intersecting with the said extended back c, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4,and thereby strengthen the said corner, so as to resist the verticalstrain that may be brought upon the corner ot' the said frame.

.To preserve the corner post (not shown) in place, from being shifted, Iform on the flange c, and at right angles With the back a, theprojecting rib or flange n, and also a second flange or rib, n', runningparallel with the back a, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and also providethe bolt-holes m no, which are to receive the strap-bolts D D. The upperends m of the said strap-bolts are to be secured to the sides of theposts, supported by bolts, screws, or equivalent attaching devices,While theirlower and screw-threaded ends are provided withscrew-threaded nuts, which screw up against the lower side of thelianges e c, to draw the said post down to the coupling.

. Titti timbers of equal depth, the flanges c and c may be made on thesame plane, and in light frames the projecting of the back c past theback a may be dispensed with.

The improvements in this 'invention can be applied with advantage to allframe-work requiring rm and strong corners, as in horse or steam carsand buildings.

This coupling is to be secured to the timbers AB by the bolts Z Zpassing through the backs of the joint-coupling and the timbers, asshown in Fig. l.

This joint-coupling will render the corner of the frame stronger thancorners made in the usual manner, and is easy for application, cheap inconstruction, and renders the corner stift' to resist vertical strain.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

l. A coupling-joint iron for uniting the ends of timbers, consisting ofthe parts IG G', constructed with the backs a a intersecting and theirends bounded by the oblique lines s s,

substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination With a coupling-joint iron, the flanges n n andstrap-bolts D D, substantially as set forth.

ELLIOT MARTIN. Witnesses:

ALEX. SELKIRK, OHAs. J SELKIRK.

